US-Iran news highlights: 'Enemies of America neutralised by Trump', says US amid Iran suspense; oil rises again

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran remains under a near-total internet shutdown that has now lasted 82 days, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

The disruption reportedly began shortly after the outbreak of the US-Israel war in late February and has severely limited online access nationwide. It follows an earlier 20-day blackout during anti-government protests in January.

US-Iran news LIVE: Xi Jinping told Putin that an immediate ceasefire is urgent in the US-Israeli war on Iran. Xi warned that resuming hostilities would be dangerous and spoke of the importance of continued negotiations.

Israeli forces freshly raided the occupied West Bank, arresting 20 people in Hizma, east of Jerusalem.

South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Hyun said one of their oil tankers carrying two million barrels of crude is transiting the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Iran.

Oil prices fell after Trump suggested the Iran war could end “very quickly."

At least 19 people were killed and 17 injured in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon.

US-Iran news LIVE: Israeli forces carried out fresh raids across the occupied West Bank, with at least 20 people arrested in Hizma near Jerusalem, according to Wafa news agency.

More arrests were reported in areas including Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron. Israeli settlers reportedly cut electricity poles in Madama village, while army bulldozers demolished a cement factory west of Ramallah. Forces also stormed Deir Abu Daif village near Jenin.

US-Iran news LIVE: US President Donald Trump said a possible attack on Iran is currently “on hold” as tensions continue around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has previously proposed charging tolls for ships using the key waterway, while Washington has rejected the idea and imposed a naval blockade on vessels linked to Iranian ports.

US-Iran news LIVE: El Al, Israel’s national airline, reported a first-quarter net loss of $67 million as the war on Iran disrupted commercial flights and kept Israeli airspace largely closed. The carrier said higher fuel costs and currency pressures also hit revenues, while total war-related losses reached $145 million.

US-Iran news LIVE: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that the conflict could expand far beyond the Middle East if the United States resumes military attacks. Iranian military officials said Tehran would open “new fronts” using new tactics and equipment in response to any renewed aggression, while stressing that the country has strengthened its combat capabilities during the ceasefire period.

US-Iran news LIVE: Putin said ties between Russia and China have reached an “unprecedented level” during his summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing. Putin said the partnership between the two countries now serves as a model of “comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction”.

He said economic cooperation between the two countries remains strong despite “unfavourable external factors”, noting that bilateral trade has grown more than 30-fold over the past 25 years and has remained above $200bn for several years.

Putin also talked about energy cooperation, saying Russia continues to be a reliable supplier of resources to China during the Gulf crisis, while China remains a responsible consumer.

He described the Russia-China partnership as a stable relationship that has “withstood repeated tests of strength and resilience”.

US-Iran news LIVE: A South Korean-operated oil tanker carrying two million barrels of crude oil has passed through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Iranian authorities, South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun said.

Cho said the vessel began sailing after consultations with Iran and was moving through the strait “very cautiously”. It is the first South Korean-managed ship to transit the waterway since the US-Israel war on Iran began.

The passage comes weeks after the South Korean-operated HMM Namu was hit by two unidentified projectiles in the strait, slightly injuring a crew member and damaging the vessel.

US-Iran news LIVE: Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon killed at least 19 people and wounded 17 others on Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Ten people, including three children, were killed in Deir Qanoun en-Nahr in Tyre district, while four people were killed in Nabatieh city and five in Kfar Sir. The attacks also wounded 10 people in Hannaouiyah and seven others in Maarakeh.

US-Iran news LIVE: Xi Jinping said a “comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency” during a phone call with Vladimir Putin on the Iran-Israel conflict. Xi said restarting hostilities would be “even more inadvisable” and said that negotiations remain important to avoid further escalation in the Gulf.

US-Iran news LIVE: Many Russians are closely following President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, especially businesses hoping for major announcements on trade and energy ties.

Moscow continues to describe China as Russia’s key geopolitical ally at a time when the Russian economy faces inflation, rising prices and budget pressure. Despite its economic importance, many Russians see the trip as a routine diplomatic visit rather than a historic moment. Some say talks between Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy would carry far greater significance, Al Jazeera reported.

US-Iran news LIVE: Oil prices fell after Donald Trump said the Iran war could end “very quickly," Brent crude dropped 0.8% to $110.40 and WTI slipping 0.6% to $103.48.

US-Iran news LIVE: Einar Tangen, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Beijing, said Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin’s meeting will be closely watched in Washington, which has long sought to limit closer China–Russia ties.

He said the two economies are naturally complementary: “Russia is the number one resource country in the world, and China is number one in manufacturing.”

Rejecting claims of imbalance, he added: “You hear a lot of this narrative that it’s somehow an unequal relationship. Well, China needs resources… they need markets and they access.”

Calling them “good friends,” he said: “So China has a lot of reasons to want a stable land border with Russia, where oil flows very cheaply… It is an equal bargaining situation. They’re not trying to lord it over each other.”

US-Iran news LIVE: The Xi–Trump summit in Beijing did not lead to any breakthrough on the war on Iran. Ahead of the talks, Washington asked Beijing to get involved in de-escalation efforts. US officials pointed to China’s reliance on Gulf energy routes, especially the Strait of Hormuz, as a reason for it to take action.

“The attacks from Iran have closed the Strait [of Hormuz]. We are reopening it. So I would urge the Chinese to join us in supporting this international operation,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

While in China, secretary of state Marco Rubio also pushed for greater Chinese engagement, but maintained that the US could act independently.

“It’s in their interest to resolve this,” Rubio said, referring to China’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz for energy imports. “We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.”

After roughly 40 hours of meetings between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, there was no agreement or coordinated approach on Iran.

US-Iran news LIVE: The UK has warned about a possible crisis if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said it could trigger a global food crisis. She urged that fertiliser shipments be allowed to pass freely within weeks.

US-Iran news LIVE: Sirens sounded in Malkia in northern Israel after the military reported a suspected “hostile aircraft infiltration.”

US-Iran news LIVE: Pro-Palestine protesters disrupted train services at The Hague Central Station by occupying tracks, forcing a temporary suspension of rail traffic. They demanded Dutch government action over Gaza and the release of activists linked to the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Some protesters locked themselves together using pipes, and police used tools to separate them. At least five people were arrested. The disruption followed another protest near parliament, where 70–80 people were detained.

US-Iran news LIVE: Russian President Vladimir Putin received a high-profile ceremonial welcome in Beijing that was similar in scale and protocol to the reception given to US' Donald Trump during his visit last week.

According to reporting from Beijing, Putin was greeted with a red carpet reception, a 21-gun salute, and a ceremonial display featuring children waving Russian and Chinese flags welcoming him. The only difference in protocol was the official who received him at the airport, with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi greeting Putin, while Chinese vice president Han Zheng had received Trump earlier.

US-Iran news LIVE: Russian President Vladimir Putin is in China to deepen energy and economic cooperation with China's Xi Jinping.

A key topic is the proposed “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline, which Russia wants to advance to compensate for lost gas exports to Europe after the Ukraine war. Russia is seeking stronger long-term energy deals with China as it looks to replace lost revenue.

China has been cautious so far due to pricing disagreements and concerns about becoming overly dependent on Russian energy supplies. It already imports significant oil and gas from Russia but prefers to keep its energy sources diversified.

According to reports, Moscow hopes that instability in the Gulf, especially disruptions linked to the Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz, could make China reconsider its energy strategy and increase reliance on Russian supplies.

US-Iran news LIVE: Russian oil has benefited from the US-Israeli war on Iran because global supply chains were disrupted and buyers needed alternative sources. Fears over possible disruption in the Strait of Hormuz pushed refiners to seek other crude suppliers, increasing demand for Russia’s Urals oil, analysts said.

“Russia has emerged as a primary beneficiary of the Middle East conflict due to the massive supply vacuum created by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” George Voloshin, an independent energy analyst based in Paris, previously told Al Jazeera. “Global refiners are desperate for alternative medium-sour crudes, a need that Russia’s Urals grade specifically meets.”

At the same time, temporary easing of sanctions and shipping restrictions allowed Russia to boost exports.

Together, this created a supply gap that Russian oil helped fill, leading to higher sales and revenues during the conflict period.

US-Iran news LIVE: Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the immediate end of all fighting in the Middle East during a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Beijing, according to Xinhua news agency.

Xi said the situation in the Gulf region is currently at a critical point between war and peace, stressing the need to halt hostilities immediately and reduce tensions in the region.

US-Iran news LIVE: China has condemned the US and Israel for the war on Iran. They also criticised the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway’s “unimpeded flow is in the common interest of the international community”.

As a major importer of Iranian oil and Iran’s largest trading partner, Beijing has been economically affected by the crisis but has stopped short of direct intervention. Instead, China has called for restraint and renewed negotiations, positioning itself as a stable and predictable partner for countries seeking alternatives to reliance on the US.

US-Iran news LIVE: Chinese President Xi Jinping has welcomed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to Beijing in a ceremonial reception at the Great Hall of the People. The meeting comes as the two leaders begin bilateral talks focused on strengthening ties and coordination between China and Russia.

US-Iran news LIVE: South Korea says it is holding “close and serious discussions” with Iran over a recent attack on the South Korean-operated HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, according to Yonhap news agency.

The foreign ministry in Seoul said it will take action once the investigation is complete, while a preliminary inquiry found that two unidentified flying objects struck the vessel, causing an explosion and fire.

Officials said analysis of recovered debris is ongoing to determine what hit the ship and who was responsible. Seoul has accused Iran of involvement, but Tehran has denied any role. South Korea has said that its priority is ensuring the safety and freedom of navigation for vessels and crews in the region.

US-Iran news LIVE: The US and Israel reportedly considered installing former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the leader in Tehran during the early stages of the war, according to a media report.

The New York Times, citing US officials, said Ahmadinejad was consulted as Washington and Tel Aviv drew up war plans targeting Iran. The report added that he was later injured in an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran, which was allegedly aimed at freeing him from house arrest.

Ahmadinejad, who later became disillusioned with the regime change plans, had long been known for his anti-Israel and anti-US rhetoric but had also turned critical of Iran’s current leadership in recent years.